I'm Your Freshman
by lucyharperr
Summary: I wish I was back in high school. There are so many people here. Lectures and professors, dorms and roommates, clubs and... the Treblemakers. Oh god, he's looking right this way. Be cool, Lucy, be cool! Ugh... I really wish I was back in high school. [DONALDxOC] [JESSExOC FRIENDSHIP]
1. First Day In

Kansas played on the car radio with Jesse sitting next to me, putting his heart and soul into singing along with the band. He insisted on playing their whole album on the trip to Barden University and since his family was kind enough to drive me with them, I was in no position to tell Jesse how nauseating it was to listen to a band that only peaked in the mid-70s.

The car stopped in the middle of traffic in front of the university, with family cars and taxis parked and in line for at least a mile in front of us. As newcomers exited their vehicles, I watched Jesse imitate the guitar solo to 'Carry On My Wayward Son' note by note for a girl outside our car. She seemed pretty, even if she exuded an alternative rock vibe that almost intimidated me. Jesse smiled like a dork as the car drove off, pushing him back against his seat.

"You are actually such a dork," I commented, "You must be excited, huh?"

"She's definitely cute," Jesse replied back, "But I'm more excited about us attending Barden together! Lucy and Jesse! The dynamic duo continues from high school to university."

I chuckled, "Okay, you know no one actually calls us that Jesse."

"Who cares, I'm just excited we're still together! Can you imagine the movie marathons we'll have in our dorms?" Jesse was already planning the rest of the semester plans on what movies we'd watch. I just laughed.

"Slow down there, we don't even know if opposite sexes are allowed in each other's dorms."

"Then we can watch in the quad."

I sighed, unable to shake the smile off my face. I had to admit, I was really excited to be starting university with my best friend. Usually people start off here with no friends, or barely any. Barden University was a huge place, it would be so much different than high school. I was just glad I had Jesse with me to get through it all.

"Okay, we're here kids!" Jesse's dad announced as he finally found a parking space by the curb, granted we were a bit of a walks way to the entrance of the university. Lucky there were some Barden volunteers to help freshmen with their luggage, so I wasn't too worried about the heavy load.

"Thank you Mr and Mrs. Swanson, I really appreciate you letting me come with you guys here," I thanked Jesse's parents for the ride and we both proceeded to get our luggage out of the back seats and the trunk.

"Oh please, it's no problem Lucy," Mrs. Swanson smiled, albeit a bit sadly, "I'm just so happy you two are able to look after each other here."

She was definitely worried for us, more so for her son. Before I could continue speaking with Jesse's mom, a chirpy girl, I assumed a volunteer judging by the Barden University t-shirt she wore, cut in by greeting us.

"Hi there! Welcome to Barden University! What dorm?" She asked with a big smile.

I smiled back as I shuffled through my backpack to look for the orientation letter I received in the mail. I skimmed through it when I finally found it, replying with, "Baker Hall."

"Alrighty, so what you're going to do is you're gonna go down this way, you're gonna take a right and you go through those double doors..." I was having a difficult time following her directions through verbal means, so I decided to go with the chance that Baker Hall would have its name somewhere on the building. "Here's your campus map and your official BU rape whistle. Don't blow unless it's actually happening!"

Rape? Oh... Good to know something like that happens around here...

I watched another volunteer load my share of the luggage onto a trolley, while Jesse declined the service and carried his own bags. I looked up at him and said, "I'll see you later?"

"I'll text you," Jesse nodded. "Activities fair later, alright?"

I nodded back, following the volunteer with my luggage, who luckily knew where my new dorm would be.

Upon reaching my room, I was surprised to see my roommate was nowhere in sight and the place was pretty much empty. I thanked the volunteer for helping me and brought my luggage inside.

I shrugged and mumbled, "I guess I get to pick which side I want," as I placed my backpack and luggage onto the left side of the room. Our dorm room already came with white desks and shelves to place our sentimental items across. It was pretty cool that Barden had such nice places ready for its students, and so, I began to unpack.

It wasn't before long that someone walked in abruptly with their own batch of bags and equipment. DJ equipment, to my surprise. Even more so, the person that walked in was the girl Jesse was serenading to earlier.

"Hey!" I pointed to her, "You're that girl that my friend was singing to."

She smiled awkwardly, "And you're the girl that was letting him do that."

I laughed, "I'm sorry about him, he's a total dork for oldies music. Or any kind of music really."

"Good to hear we affiliate ourselves with similar people," she commented. I was confused for a moment, then I took another look at her DJ equipment in its case. She probably saw that I looked a bit lost, so she continued, "I'm a bit of a music nerd too."

"I can see that," I chuckled, "My name's Lucy Harper. Nice to meet you."

She shook hands with me and smiled, a little more relaxed this time, "Likewise, I'm Beca Mitchell."

From there I received a text from Jesse: "yo luce, activities fair, now. i'm downstairs in front of your dorm."

I replied telling him I'd be right down. I quickly checked myself in the mirror built into the wardrobe. I straightened my basic black tee, adjusted the waistline of my washed out skinny jeans and slipped on my favourite pair of Skechers. They were navy blue, customised with some sweet purple laces and best of all, they had memory foam soles. I don't know how mankind could get any better. I'm all for comfort. Looking back up at the mirror, I ran my fingers through my short brown hair, fixing my bangs while I was at it. My brown hazel eyes peered at my freckles that dotted around my cheeks and nose, as if forming its own constellation. No pimples, check. I smiled one more time to myself, forming some sort of confidence before I went down to meet Jesse.

"Hey, um," I spoke before walking out the door, "I'm going to head to the activities fair, do you wanna come with?"

Beca looked hesitant as she glanced at all her unpacked luggage. She gave me an awkward smile and apologetic look, "I think I need to unpack a bit before heading down... But I'll probably bump into you later once I set up my stuff."

I shrugged, agreeing with her, "Sure thing. See ya later roomie!"

I then met Jesse downstairs, him introducing me to Benji, his roommate. Jesse was also pleased to hear that my roommate was the target of his air guitar solo. Suffice to say, it was amazing at how much bigger his smile turned after telling him the news.

"Nice to meet you Lucy. Oh, and you guys have got to follow me. There's only one group on this campus worth joining. As far as Barden goes, that's what being a man is all about," Benji pointed to a group of guys, hanging out by some stairs in the quad.

Jesse and I followed Benji, walking closer to the group and observing the 'Treblemakers' banner behind them, before suddenly being bombarded by them breaking into song.

"Whip it!"

"Oh my god we've walked into High School Musical," I whispered under my breath, causing Jesse to stifle his laughter.

"Organized nerd singing," Jesse raised his eyebrows. "This is great."

"Yeah I know," Benji's eyes seemed to stop blinking when watching them. "It makes so much sense. How's your voice?"

Jesse sang along with the Treblemakers for a few bars, me smiling at his readiness to meet new people. At least he was ready to jump into university life. Me, not so much.

"Whoa, nice," Benji commented, eyes still unmoving.

I patted Jess on the shoulder, "That's my boy,"

"Can you sing too Lucy?" Benji asked.

"Oh um-" "She most certainly can," Jesse interrupted me before I could deny the fact.

"Great! We can all join the acapella groups of Barden University," Benji gestured towards a stand where two girls held flyers for their own acapella group, the Barden Bellas.

I drew my eyes back to the Treblemakers' performance. I watched the boys get into the song in their own style, one of them drawing his shirt up to expose his toned body. Another, I assumed the leader since he took the lead singer role, danced around people walking by. There was even a unicycle in the mix, I mean, why?

One person in particular seemed pretty unfazed by the performance, concentrating on his phone all the while beat boxing for the group. Impressive, to say the least. The multitasker was tall, much taller than me, perhaps by a foot. His dark hair was styled to stay out of his face with dark glasses framing his eyes quite well. It made me wonder what was so interesting on his phone to make him not be so inclined to do the same theatrics his friends were giving.

Probably his girlfriend.

But then, he looked up. He began to get into the music as he tucked his phone back into his pocket, looking around at the quad while he continued his beats. There was something kind of... attractive about how he made something so difficult look so easy. I didn't realise how long I was looking at him until he faced my direction, locking eyes with me.

My eyes widened and I quickly looked to the ground, feeling my cheeks heat up at our sudden eye contact. I crossed my arms and tucked my hair behind my ear in an attempt to look busy. Such a feeble attempt.

After a few seconds I peered back up to see if he was still looking. And he was.

And he smiled at me.

* * *

Hi all! Thank you so much for reading the first chapter of this story! Please remember to review, criticism and compliments are all welcome. I look forward to reading your reviews!


	2. Big Brother Jesse

Benji's attempt at trying to befriend Bumper, the lead singer of the Treblemakers, was a cringeworthy experience. I felt sorry for him, really. Jesse tried to make his magic trick seem impressive through awkward commentary and me nodding along to agree with his enthusiasm but in reality, Bumper was just not having it.

I refused to look at the beat boxer of the group as we entered the conversation. Every time I looked up to seem immersed in the conversation, I would glance for half a second at him, and as I assumed, he was still looking straight at me.

"But why don't we just exchange emails and then totally hang out right now, together?" Benji insisted.

"No. Hard pass. Hard pass," Bumper shook his head profusely.

Jesse guided Benji away from the Treblemakers, comforting him on his terrible social encounter. I followed closely behind, as if a weight had been lifted. Or rather, a pair of eyes. Really... Really cute eyes.

I shook my head as I followed Jesse. Of course, that weight came crashing back down when I felt a light tap on my shoulder. Turning around, I gasped as I was faced with exactly who I was avoiding.

"Um... Yes?" I squeaked.

"What's your name?" The beat boxer smiled as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing his forearms. His forearms distracted me for a moment as my thoughts wondered what the rest of his arms looked like, or rather, what the rest of his body looked like.

Wow. I needed to stop being such a... guy.

"Y-You know, usually before asking someone that, you introduce yourself first," I shrugged, trying my best to look nonchalant.

He chuckled, "Sorry. I'm Donald Walsh," He held out a hand to shake with mine. "Now can you please tell me your name?"

His smile was pretty cute. Crap, I think I might just be developing a crush. On the first day too? I mean, he was texting his girlfriend during the song. Ugh, I really have no self control. This is why college is going to suck.

"Lucy Harper. Nice to meet you Donald Walsh," I shook his hand reluctantly, and for good reason too. His fingers held my hand just a little bit tighter when our hands touched. We shook. For a long time. By long time I mean like five seconds, but it was much longer than a normal handshake would have been. All during this, he kept eye contact with me.

"I haven't seen you around before," he said, still holding my hand, "I'm guessing you're a freshman?"

"Yeah," I nodded back at him, savouring the moment until he would let go. "I'm down at Baker Hall. Are you a freshman too?"

Donald chuckled, "I'm a senior. The Treblemakers have their own fraternity house, so I don't live in a dorm room."

"Oh," I said, perhaps too breathlessly as I realised that he was a senior. I definitely had no chance.

So far, being a high school senior beats being a college freshman. "So... I guess I'll see you at more of our performances, since you enjoyed this one," Donald smirked, referring to our shared moment of eye contact.

Wow, he was so confident. "Yeah, sure. I'll probably ask Benji about when you guys are performing." I nodded.

"Or, you can ask me," Donald shrugged, taking out his phone and passing it to me. The new contact screen was already up and running.

I laughed quietly, impressed by his straightforwardness. I had to give it to him, he was pretty brave. I typed in my number and name, returning his phone back and was slightly regretful as our hands let go. "I guess I'll uh... See you around," I smiled.

His smirk coupled with a small chuckle, "I sure hope so."

I waved goodbye as I caught up with Jesse and Benji.

"Whoa, what was that all about?" Jesse commented, eyeing Donald as he walked back to his group.

"I don't really know," I shuffled my feet around, still feeling slightly light headed from our sudden conversation. "He introduced himself, wanted to know my name... Said he was looking forward to seeing me at some performances... Gave him my number."

"What?!" Jesse shrieked. "Some guy is already asking for your number?"

"Whoa," Benji added, "Not just some guy, he's a Treblemaker."

"Lucy," Jesse kept his eye on Donald, "I don't think a guy who is asking for a freshman's number on the first day we all arrive has good intentions."

I sighed, exasperated as Jesse began to turn into an older brother, "Don't worry Jess, remember how he was on his phone during the performance? It's obvious he was texting his girlfriend. He probably just wants to garner more fans for the Treblemakers."

Jesse scoffed, looking over at Benji, as if to say, 'can you believe her?' "Yeah... I don't think that'll stop a player from playing the game."

I rolled my eyes. Even though Jesse protested against this sudden act of 'promiscuity', I did relish in the fact that Donald wanted to get my number. Wait, no. He has a girlfriend, Lucy. Nothing is worse in the world than cheaters... Amongst other things.

"I'm still going to audition for them," Benji told us, "And speaking of which, we should take Lucy to the Barden Bellas. I know they're looking for a whole new group of girls since... Well, we should just introduce her to them."

"Yeah, sounds good," Jesse replied, placing his arm around my shoulders haphazardly, making me almost tumble to the ground. He proceeded to drag me to the Barden Bellas' booth.

"Lucy," I bumped into Beca, just about to leave the stand. "Hey."

I smiled, "Hi Beca. Are you... Joining the Barden Bellas?"

"Yeah, no," Beca shook her head. "I'm kinda looking for a DJ club, or something like that."

"Oh, alright," I kind of wanted to audition with Beca, at least I wouldn't have to face the prospect that I'd be trying to join without any friends with me. Sure, Jesse would be auditioning, but he would be trying out for the Treblemakers.

Speaking of Jesse, he was smiling during our conversation, eyes never leaving Beca. She took her leave soon after, awkwardly waving bye to Jesse. I waved goodbye to her, feeling less encouraged in approaching the booth. I didn't have much time to think though, since one of the girls running the booth approached me.

"Hey! Are you interested in joining the Barden Bellas? We have openings!" A red head girl greeted me with a sweet smile and a flyer that had all of the information about their auditions.

"Do you know that girl?" The blonde next to her pointed to Beca as she walked away.

"Beca?" I turned around to see if I was correct. "Oh, she's my roommate."

The blonde seemed to disapprove at that fact as she gave a grimace to her friend. I looked over at the red head in a slightly confused state and she gave me an ensuring smile.

"Auditions are in the auditorium!" Red head chirped, still offering the flyer.

Well, at least this girl was cheerful. Acapella couldn't be that bad. I looked back at Jesse hesitantly as he nodded in approval, making me take one of the handouts she was giving out. "Sure, I guess I'll see you there."

"Great! See you then!"

"Let's grab some lunch," Jesse suggested. We followed Benji to the open air cafeteria set up for the activities fair. It might not have been gourmet, but a hot dog was more than enough.

"So Benji, how long have you been following the Treblemakers for?" I asked before taking a big bite of the condiment-filled bun.

"Three years. Four, if you count when I started following acapella in general."

"Wow, that's a pretty committed relationship you got there with lady acapella," Jesse's stuffed mouth made him almost difficult to decipher.

"Yeah well, the Treblemakers have truly changed my life," Benji looked so proud to say that.

I, on the other hand, was slightly concerned for his choice of hobbies, but I suppose if he ain't doing drugs, no reason to interfere. "And are the Treblemakers usually nice people? I mean, the way they performed made it seem like they're pretty confident."

"Are you trying to ask me in a subtle way if Donald is a nice guy?" Benji too, chewed through his hot dog while speaking.

"What?" I almost choked. My face began to heat up again. "No! What? ...No!"

Benji and Jesse glanced at each other before stifling a laugh. Benji replied, "Donald is a really good performer. He's got this amazing stage presence. I have heard some rumours, however, about his... How can I put this delicately?"

"Is he a player?" Jesse took the words right out of my mouth.

Benji shrugged, "I wouldn't totally know if they're true or not but... The rumours point to that particular direction, yes."

I cringed. Oh great. Finding a player attractive was exactly what I needed on my first day at Barden University. Jesse gave me the infamous 'I told you so' look. I rolled my eyes again.

"You happy there?" I retorted, taking a sip of my coke.

"As long as you stay away from him, yep," Jesse said smugly.

I knew there would be a con to going to university with someone who has known me since I was in diapers. Jesse and I grew up as next door neighbours and since we were in the same neighbourhood, it meant we went to the same schools. The friendship obviously developed from there on out. Being so close to him, he became the older brother I never had. It was great, I got to have a playmate around when we were younger, especially since I was an only child. He would protect me from bullies in elementary, we would study together in high school, but now that we were in college, I could only assume he would be more of a brother than a friend.

"Thanks, bro," I emphasised the last word, letting him know how suffocating he was starting to become. He only laughed at my misfortune.

As I finished my food, I grabbed everyone's rubbish once they were done and headed to the trash. Amongst the empty cups and napkins I accidentally picked up the Bella's flyer. Lucky I took notice. I threw away the rest as I read the flyer one more time.

"Auditions are next week, huh..." I mumbled. I realised if I auditioned and potentially got accepted into the Barden Bellas, I wouldn't just be a part of the audience for the Treblemakers.

I would be their competition.

* * *

Hi there! Thank you for reading the second chapter of I'm Your Freshman. Please do show your support or let me know your thoughts by giving a review! I'd really appreciate it!


	3. Early Classes

"How's the job at the radio station going?" I asked Beca just before heading to bed.

It was a few days before the auditions and my mind was still juggling the decision on whether to go or not. I fumbled in my long pyjama pants and threw the thin covers over me. It was cold and the sheet I had wasn't doing much for me, but it was definitely better than nothing. I grabbed my Lang Leav book, 'Love and Misadventure' to read to sleep. Beca too, was getting ready to hit the sack. I was lucky to get along with Beca, even if she was a tad bit awkward at conversations. Maybe it was just me.

"It's going great," Beca replied, "I mean stacking CDs is my dream."

I giggled, "I take it they still haven't played your tracks yet?"

"Nope," she sighed, "I've been giving him my tracks for the past week but still nothing played."

"They deserve to be played," I said, encouraging her not to give up. "Jesse tells me he loves your tracks."

"Yeah," She suddenly smiled at the mention of his name, "He's such a weirdo."

"Well he's a weirdo that's smitten," I smirked coyly, watching her reaction.

She looked as if she had a million words to spill out of her mouth in regards to that and she had no clue what to start off with. She simply shook her head, flustered and said, "He's a great guy, but I doubt he's smitten."

"Say what you will," I shrugged as I snuggled myself into my bed. "I've known the guy since we were kids."

Beca just smiled as she got into her bed, possibly hiding a blush that was developing.

"By the way, did you end up finding any DJ clubs on campus?" I asked.

"No, unfortunately. My dad is kinda making me join one, my choice though, of course."

"Must be difficult having your dad monitoring you around at university. So what club are you thinking of joining?"

"Well," she said jokingly, "I was totally thinking of starting my own club. A DJ club, but oh wait, that's right, I don't have any friends."

"Hey, you got me and Jesse." I smiled.

"Yeah. I don't think there are any clubs I'm into."

"Well for one, you can sing," I pointed out, referring to the tracks she sang in. "Why not go to auditions this Saturday?"

"Auditions? For the Barden Bellas?"

"Or whatever group you want," I shrugged. "Just try out. If you go, I'll go."

"Way to leave the decision up to me, Lucy."

"Hey, I've been racking this decision in my brain too, and I figure I'll leave it up to fate. Meaning... I'll leave it up to you."

"That's cruel," Beca laughed.

We turned off our respective lights and began to fall asleep, but I knew before Beca closed her eyes, she had a moment of consideration with the decision she was given.

The day after, I had classes from morning till night, however there were a few breaks in between that gave me some leeway for spending time with Jesse. That is, of course, if our breaks coincided. I never bothered to ask him his timetable.

So at Barden University, I chose the literature degree. I loved poetry, I loved novels, I loved anything written. The reason why I even considered auditioning for an acapella group was because songs were exactly the same. Poetry, with music attached... Even if some songs were more derogatory than others.

The only real downside to studying a literature degree were the annoying amount of textbooks to use as references. I struggled to carry the four textbooks I had for the next two back-to-back classes. My first class of the day was at 8am, on the other side of campus. I know... Literature wasn't looking like the best course right now. I will say though, the professors were really insightful, so, it wasn't all bad.

Not a lot of students were walking around campus at 7:45am. The early morning fog had just settled and the sun was starting to give off its heat of spring. I finally reached the building of my first class, glancing at my watch to see I had five minutes till class. I made haste, turning corners and power walking through the corridors. As expected... I shouldn't have made such a rush, I turned the last corner to my class and tumbled. My books slammed into my chest before falling to the ground and my shoulder bag tangled amongst the mess.

"Oh crap," I heard someone in front of me say. Then I realised, I had run into someone.

"Oh crap!" I repeated, "I'm so sorry!" I quickly fell to the ground to pick up my books.

The voice suddenly chuckled. It was husky, yet playful. I looked up and up and just my luck, it was Donald. "Do you have enough books with you?"

"Donald," I blushed, "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."

"No, that's alright," He replied as he bent down to help me pack my books.

"I'm okay, I got thi-"

"My apologies for bumping into you. Where are you headed?" He interrupted me, distracting me as he took the books out of my hand and carried them.

"Oh, no Donald, I can carry-"

"Like I said, my apologies. Let me make it up to you. Now where are you headed?"

I sighed, holding on tightly to my bag in the case that he would take that off me too. "You have a habit of interrupting people, you know that?"

He chuckled, "Are you going to answer my question or are we going to stand here in the hallway? I mean, I'm down to stay here and talk to you all day... But I'm pretty sure you don't want to miss your first class."

I laughed along with him, playing with the strap of my bag awkwardly, "Its just down the hall."

I took him to my class, enjoying the short walk we had together. It was quiet, but surprisingly, it was comfortable. I reached the door to my class and took my books off his hands.

"Thanks for that," I smiled. "I'll see you around."

He said nothing but a smile in return and he headed to his own class. It had caught me off guard that he was such a gentleman, considering his reputation had said otherwise. I suddenly frowned at the thought that maybe he was putting the moves on me. Maybe being a gentleman was a part of the act. I shook it off, and begun my day.

I had finished my two first classes sooner than I thought, and I found myself with a three hour break before my last few classes. I texted Jesse, wondering if he was free to hang.

'you free to chill? got a three hour break lol. down to take you up for that movie offer :)'

He replied shortly after. 'bad timing, in class right now, no breaks till 4'

I sighed, readjusting the books in my hand.

"Guess it's time for a nap," I mumbled.

"Mind if I join you?" I heard someone approach me.

"Donald," I said, startled. "You are everywhere."

"Or maybe fate just wants us to be together," he smirked.

I stepped back, feeling flustered but also offended. "Donald you have a girlfriend. I'm not into that."

He tilted his head, slightly confused. "Girlfriend? Where'd you get that idea from?"

I scoffed, frustrated at his lies. "When you were performing with the Treblemakers at the activities fair. You were texting someone on your phone, someone who I assumed was your girlfriend."

Donald paused to think back to that moment. Then, he raised his eyebrows and laughed. "That was not my girlfriend. I wasn't even texting anyone. I was playing Clash of Clans," he whipped out his phone to show me his game, then proceeding to show me the texts he received, all of which consisted of Bumper, his mother, and other guys.

"You must really trust me to show me your texts," I crossed my arms, feeling slightly regretful and embarrassed that I accused him of something without proof.

He shrugged, "I got nothing to hide. Besides, you seem pretty cool."

I bit my tongue at the urge of telling him about his reputation. I sighed and started walking to my dorm, "Well, I better get going."

"Actually, I've been wanting to ask you," Donald followed me, "can I take you out for lunch?."

Thinking back on it, I was pretty hungry... But Jesse's reprimanding voice echoed at the back of my mind. I shook my head, refusing his offer. "I'm sorry Donald, I can't."

"Please," Donald smiled at me, placing his hands together in a begging motion. It was cute. "I'm paying. Don't make me beg more."

I closed my eyes, rubbing my temples to shut Jesse's voice up. "Donald..."

"Lucy," he stepped closer towards me as I felt towered against. His voice was quieter and we shared a moment of silence. "Please."

I stared at him for a few seconds, trying to figure out what his intentions were. I seriously couldn't tell, but his eyes were making my heart race. I exhaled with what little breath I had.

I bit my lip and said, "Jesse is going to kill me."

* * *

Thanks so much for reading the third chapter! Thank you all for the follows and favourites, I hope you are all enjoying it so far. Please let me know what you think by leaving a review! It would mean so much to me if you did :)

And to reply to Andy493, hope that was a good hint!


	4. Apologies

"So this Jesse guy," Donald began as he sipped his coffee, "Is he your boyfriend or something?"

My eyes widened, feeling slightly grossed out at the idea. "Oh God no, he's my friend. Best friend."

Donald had taken me to a small cafe on campus, letting me order whatever I wanted. I didn't want to be too greedy, so I ordered a small sandwich with some juice. He only ordered a coffee.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" I asked as I took a bite out of my sandwich.

"Oh, I'm not hungry," Donald replied, smiling as he said his next few words. "I just wanted to take you out somewhere."

My heart skipped a beat, no doubt. "You're not afraid to be straightforward, aren't you?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, "If I want something, it doesn't take long for me to get it."

"So you're saying that I'm something to 'get'?"

"I'm saying that I want you."

I felt lightheaded. I had never been approached by such a straightforward guy. In high school, the boys were all serious dorks, not even knowing how to court a girl. Albeit, Donald wasn't exactly courting me, but he was definitely not afraid to show his confidence.

"I'm guessing you do this a lot then," I laughed, taking a drink of my juice. "There's no way you can be this confident with a girl without any experience."

He chuckled, "You refuse to believe that I genuinely like you and that motivates my confidence?"

I was suddenly reminded of Benji's comment on Donald. I put my glass down and stared at the ice float. I fiddled with the straw and pointed it towards him. I lifted my head and blurted, "I was told you had a bit of a reputation... With girls."

Donald smirked and scoffed at the same time, "Who told you this?"

"It doesn't matter who. It's true isn't it?"

He sighed, looking out the window in a bit of an irritated mood. "Okay, if I have to be truthful... yeah."

My heart sank. I knew it was too good to be true. I had so many emotions to show, but all I could muster up was a sympathetic smile. "Thanks for lunch, Donald."

I stood up, grabbing my books and bag and walked out of the cafe, leaving the half eaten sandwich on the plate. I took one more glance behind me to look at Donald and saw him rubbing his temples with closed eyes. It was such a waste, I was really starting to like him... But I couldn't start college being close to someone like that. I knew it was for the best.

I texted Jesse, 'hey we gotta talk, you're gonna kill me but i had lunch with Donald'

Not even thirty seconds later, he replied, 'after i told you not to?! you are an idiot. look i got another two hours left to my day, ill come to your dorm and you tell me what happened.'

'alright.. i don't finish my classes till 6 so you're going to have to wait till i'm done.'

I decided to head back to my dorm to drop my books off and read until my next class. I tried really hard, but damn it all, Donald would not get out of my head.

"Why would you agree to go to lunch with him?" Jesse asked me accusingly. He had greeted me at my door with that question, and as annoyed as he was, he still had three movies in one of his hands and Chinese takeout in the other.

I smiled as I let him in. He immediately made himself at home as he took off his shoes and sat on my bed. He handed me one of the paper bags of food as I sat next to him, getting my laptop ready for movie night.

"He was really charming," I replied, "But you don't have to worry, I didn't even go through the whole lunch with him. I confronted him about his reputation and... He admitted to it."

"He admitted to it?" Jesse raised his eyebrows. "He just... said he had a rep with girls."

I shrugged, "Yeah, why?"

"He's up to something."

"Oh my God, Jesse!" I rolled my eyes. "Just because a guy was honest about his past doesn't mean that he's got some terrible intentions."

"Have you thought about him since lunch?"

Jesse smirked as he saw me pause, furrow my eyebrows and pout. I didn't dare look at him because I knew he would just look so smug. "I actually hate you. So much," I murmured.

"Yeah, you love it," Jesse reached over for his movies and chose to put Jaws into my laptop first, thus beginning a long night of old movie marathons and incredibly healthy food, by which I mean boxes full of MSG and stir fried goodness. It was disappointing that Beca wouldn't be coming back to the dorm until late, since she was working the night shift at the radio station. I would have definitely left them two alone to get more acquainted, but I was sure that I'd get another chance, no doubt.

At the end of two and a half movies and almost to the end of my second takeout box, my phone vibrated. I took a hold of it to check what it was and it turned out to be a text message.

'Lucy, I'm in front of your dorm. Come downstairs and meet me.' It was from an unknown number. I was puzzled, feeling as if I had a stalker in the midst. I nudged Jesse on the shoulder and showed him the text. He frowned, obviously not liking the idea of someone harassing me.

"Who is that?" He asked.

"If I knew, do you think I'd show you my phone?" I looked at him in disappointment at his lack of common sense.

"Let's go down and find out who it is," Jesse paused Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, and began to search around my room.

"What are you-" He answered my question soon enough as he grabbed the flowers from the vase my desk, placing the flowers out onto the surface as he emptied out the water through my window. "That's your weapon of choice? Really. And you destroy my flowers while doing it."

"Your flowers are not destroyed, and besides, I don't see you finding a better weapon," Jesse begun to practice his swings with the vase.

I grabbed my keys and placed each one in between my fingers, creating a sort of knuckle brace. "I got these. One jab to the throat and they'll be packing to the hospital."

Jesse tilted his head, "Wow, I have never thought of that. How did you know how to do that?"

"Jesse," I scoffed, "I am a young woman on a campus that apparently needs a rape whistle given to each new student. I need to know how to fend for myself should the time ever come."

"Damn," He shook his head, "Being a girl is tough."

"It's not so bad. I get to have my books carried by Donald on the way to class," I joked. He grimaced in return as we started heading downstairs.

We reached the front entrance within a few minutes. The lights were still on, but the campus was dark regardless. I was afraid to open the glass doors as I saw no one outside waiting for me. What if they were hiding in a bush? Around the corner? What if they had a weapon? Or a bag to put me in and a white windowless van to kidnap me with?

"Oh god I can't do this," I choked, running behind Jesse as I urged him to open the door instead.

He inched closer to the door, pushing it open with his fingers. He held the vase above his waist, ready to swing at whatever jumped out at us.

"Lucy?" A voice spoke, making both Jesse and I jump. Jesse swung the vase with his eyes closed, unfortunately losing his grip in the process, and he threw the vase across the lawn, making it shatter into pieces.

"Jesse!" I screeched with wide eyes. "You..! Jesse!"

Jesse looked from me, to the vase, to the voice beside us.

"Donald," I mumbled, suddenly changing volume in my voice.

"What are you doing here?" Jesse regained his composure and stood strong in front of me. "It's almost 11pm. Bit late to be talking to Lucy, Donald."

"Jesse," I touched his shoulder and gestured for him to go back upstairs. He looked back at me and sighed. He glared at Donald one last time before leaving.

"Hey," Donald stepped closer. "Sorry I scared you... And Jesse."

"It's okay," I shrugged, glancing at my broken vase on the grass. I sighed with a deep pout and murmured, "That was my favourite vase."

He chuckled, "I'll buy you a new one as an apology."

I laughed along, "I don't mind if you keep apologising, as long as you make it up with more favours like that." Eventually we settled down, and silence came upon us. I kicked the ground beneath me sheepishly.

"So, why are you-"

"I wanted to-"

We laughed quietly again, sharing a moment of silence once more. Before I could open my mouth, Donald began first.

"I wanted to talk to you about what happened at lunch."

I raised my eyebrows, nodding, "Yeah, okay sure, um, what did you need to say?"

He took a deep breath, readying himself to say whatever he had prepared. Yet he exhaled. He shook his hands and balled them into fists, as if he were trying to shake off whatever was holding him back. Donald took another deep breath and looked me straight in the eye.

"What I said at the cafe was true. Yes, I have a reputation with girls and I'm sorry that that hurt you, but I feel like it's better I make a clean slate with you, rather than lie and charm you to get in your pants."

I crossed my arms and asked, "How do I know that this isn't a lie to charm me? How can I trust you if your reputation has become so well known that it has reached the ears of freshmen who haven't even started college yet?"

Donald grimaced, "If this is a lie, then it is officially the worst pick up line I have ever heard of, and if it charms you, then I'm not even sure if I want to get in your pants," I chuckled at his joke. "And I know it's hard to imagine yourself trusting me, but judging by the fact that you are still standing here listening to me talk about... Well.. Your pants, that means that you want to trust me. You want to give this a chance."

I half smiled at his analysis, as slightly crude and straightforward as it was, I liked how assured he was. "What exactly do you want from me, Donald?"

He shrugged helplessly, "I'm all talk, Lucy. I talk like I got some big game but in reality, I'm just a guy talking to a really pretty girl, and what I want from that girl, is her trust."

"Pretty is a bit of an overstatement," I unfolded my arms. "Trust sounds okay to me."

"So you're cool with us just getting to know each other?" He smiled, "I won't want to go too fast, if that's what you want."

"Donald, I'm not dating you," I told him sternly. "I'm just open to seeing how our friendship goes."

He sighed, holding his chest playfully as if he theoretically got stabbed in the heart. "That's what I meant, Lucy."

"On one condition," I continued, "I don't associate myself with liars. If you lie to me, then I will cut ties."Donald nodded and nonchalantly saluted me with two fingers, "Yes ma'am."

I was surprised at this point, seeing as he had agreed to my terms. I shrugged and allowed my smile to return to my face. I turned around and began to walk back to my dorm room. Just before I opened the door, I looked over my shoulder at him.

"I'll see you around, Don."

I could see him smile from the corner of my eye and as I walked into the hallway, I truly did my best to calm the butterflies fluttering in my stomach. After all, we were just going to be friends. I was sure of it.

* * *

Thank you all so much for the favourites and the follows! It means so much that you guys are enjoying this story! Please continue to review (it motivates me to write faster!) Thanks also to those who have already reviewed, you guys are aca-awesome!


	5. Audition Day

It was audition day. I stood behind the curtain along with 20 or so other hopefuls for a place in an acapella group. Four acapella groups sat in front of the stage, as I peeked through the gaps of the curtains. It was obvious to tell how they segregated into their own little sections, whispering amongst each other. I could see the Barden Bellas were much outnumbered by the other groups, having only the two girls I had met at the Activities Fair sitting next to each other, holding each auditioning person's application. I moved my stare to the other group sitting just a few rows behind them, the Treblemakers. I could see Bumper being obnoxious and arrogant, trying to provoke the two Bellas into giving up on succeeding. Donald was sitting amongst the boys, shaking his head as Bumper proclaimed his superiority towards all the groups. I stood back in my place and smiled at a girl next to me awkwardly as I calmed my racing heart. I took deep breaths and took out my phone to text Jesse.

'dude where are you? auditions are starting in 10 mins'

I looked over at Benji and asked him the same thing, "Hey Benji, do you know where Jesse is? I swear he told me he would be here auditioning as well."

"Oh I actually have no clue," Benji smiled politely, "I was the first to arrive here this morning."

"You came here at 10am?" I asked, bewildered at why he would want to be the first one at the auditorium.

"No, 8," He smiled sheepishly. I only raised my eyebrows with a forced laugh. His obsession with acapella was no joke.

"8am, wow," I nodded, not sure if I was impressed by this feat. "I sure hope you get into an acapella group then."

"The Treblemakers are the only ones for me," Benji nodded along, his enthusiastic aura seeping into mine. Somehow, watching Benji pump himself up had taken an effect on me too. I was starting to get excited. Then, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Lucy, Benji," Jesse panted, resting his hands on his knees as he caught his breath, "I overslept."

I smacked him behind the head and sighed, "I've been texting you all morning, I had half a mind to come up to your dorm."

He flinched as he rubbed the back of his head and mumbled, "My phone alarm didn't go off."

I rolled my eyes as I went back to my phone, now texting Beca, 'hey beca, im at the auditions right now, it starts in like 10 mins. are you coming or are you ditching me? :('

She texted almost right away, which I appreciated considering not everyone takes the time to reply back quickly. I read her text, 'hey, I'm actually not totally sure if I want to audition...'

'WHAT?! but you promised me we would audition together!' I grimaced as I typed up those words, seething slightly at the idea that Beca would abandon me like that.

'I'm sorry! Idk yet, I'm still mulling it over'

'Beca if you do not show up to this audition I swear to god I am never sharing any takeout food with you ever again'

'I doubt that, lucy'

'DONT TEMPT ME!'

The auditions began before I could see what she texted me back with and people started lining up to have their moment on the stage. We had to sing 16 bars of 'Since U Been Gone' by Kelly Clarkson, each person showing their abilities to perform every role in an acapella group. Each group watching would then judge what role you would best be suited to, then contacting you directly if they chose to have you in their little clique. Jesse and I smiled at Benji as he walked onto the stage, giving him some moral support before he began his sample of the song. After Benji, it was Jesse. After Jesse, it was a petite Asian girl who I barely heard speak. After her, it was me.

I walked onto the stage and gave the pair of Bellas a smile, and introduced myself, "Hi, my name is Lucy, I'm a freshman here at Barden and... I do literature." My inner self cringed as I failed to impress them with any interesting facts about me. I was bound to be unnoticed with an introduction like that. I glanced at Donald and he was smiling, eyes hardly leaving me, and I blushed.

I quickly looked away and focused my attention on the two girls in front. I smiled nervously and began my sample.

* * *

She began singing. Her small lips opened as she took a deep breath and began to let out her voice. It was impressive at first, seeing as she was on beat and rhythm with each percussion and melody role that was given, if not slightly quiet, but that was probably because she was nervous. Then she began to sing the lyrics. Everyone had heard this song before, it was an old pop classic, but the way she sang it, it was as if I was suddenly listening to a bird hum sweetly in its nest. If I were to materialise her voice into something, it would be that. A nightingale.

"Donald, you're not watching the video," Greg nudged me as he positioned his phone closer to my face. I moved away from him, showing my annoyance at his persistence.

"Dude, this girl has got a great voice," I glared at Greg. "You should take some notes."

He scoffed, "To sound like a chick?"

"To be a good performer," I rolled my eyes. I ignored him from there on out as I listened to Lucy perform.

Like most girls, she could sing high notes, but I felt like she was on another level. Maybe it was because I had a form of attraction towards her that made me biased, but I wanted her to sing more than just 16 bars. I wanted to hear her sing 16 songs and more. I smiled, catching her glance every now and then and she almost stumbled on her words when she did. I chuckled quietly as she made mistakes here and there, probably because she had noticed me staring her down. I hoped she would be nervous with me watching her... It made me feel good. Regardless, I was thoroughly enjoying her performance. If only the Treblemakers allowed girls to join. I applauded her as she walked off the stage, receiving a strange look from Bumper as he rolled his eyes at me.

"We don't clap, Donald," He sighed.

"She was good, Bumper," I replied, eyes still watching her leave. "How about being a good musician and appreciating other people's talents?"

"I'll appreciate her only if she and I get some private time alone," Bumper sniggered, hitting a nerve of mine. I chose to let it go, knowing he was just being his obnoxious self. No doubt, I was in the same boat as him most days.

* * *

I walked off the centre of the stage, taking more deep breaths than I ever had in my life once I reached behind the curtain. Jesse bear-hugged me with a big grin as Benji congratulated me on going through with the audition.

"That was great! You did awesome Luce!" Jesse smiled.

"You're definitely getting into the Bellas, Lucy," Benji agreed.

"Thanks," I breathed, heart still racing from adrenaline. "That was scary."

"You'll learn to love it," Benji assured me, "Performing will give you the rush it gives me."

There were a few more auditions, the event was over. The hosts of the event began closing it off until I saw Beca walk through the back door, awkwardly glancing around. I gasped and ran over to her, pulling her towards the stage.

"No time to argue about how late you are!" I said as I pushed her past the curtains and onto the stage, despite her stumbling on her words of protest.

She managed to do her audition, even if she didn't sing the same song as the rest of us, and furthermore used a cup as an instrument. I peered over at the Bellas, and the redhead was impressed. I felt that was enough to get her in. Interpretive risk taking was definitely going to get her points. I just hoped the blonde would agree too.

Once the hosts ended the auditions, Jesse, Beca, Benji and I planned on getting lunch together, since we didn't really eat breakfast... Except for Benji. He was always freakishly prepared for everything, I thought maybe I should ask him for some advice on how to be so ready for each day. God knows I wake up without any food in me until midday. We decided to go to a small bistro that served lunch near our campus. As we began heading out the back door, I heard my name being called out.

"Lucy," Donald walked backstage to where I was from where he was sitting. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Um..." I could see Jesse in my peripheral vision saying 'no'. I rolled my eyes at him and said, "You guys go ahead, I'll be right behind you."

Jesse sighed as Beca and Benji ushered him out of the auditorium before he could protest. I returned my attention to Donald, asking him, "What's up?"

"You planning on heading out somewhere?" He asked, watching the three exit the auditorium.

"Yeah, actually," I nodded, stuffing my hands in my pocket. "We're going out to lunch."

"Damn," Donald half smiled, "I was planning on taking you to another lunch."

"Hmm, well I don't know, will you actually eat this time?" I giggled as I added, "and will you be uncovering another big secret? Are you a transvestite?" I raised my eyebrow and pointed at him accusingly.

He laughed and adjusted his eye glasses, "I'm sure you'd love that. I'll take you to a nice place, come on."

I sighed, shaking my head with my smile still in place, "Donald, I'm not going to ditch my friends whom I've already made plans with, besides, you know we are just friends."

"That's a bummer," He tried to hide his frown, but it was obvious that he was disappointed with the outcome. Awkwardly, I waved goodbye as I started heading out the door.

"I'm gonna win you over, you know," He called out before I turned the knob. "You're gonna have to come to the dark side eventually!"

"Hilarious," I laughed as I left the auditorium, not sure if it was a pun on his skin tone. I could hear his voice through the shut door yelling, " _You've got a great voice!_ " It made me grin and my heart was beating out of my chest. I was trying my best to calm down as I headed towards the cafe, attempting to convince myself that what I felt for Donald was purely platonic... But damn, I was beginning to enjoy the attention...

* * *

Hello lovely readers! You're looking fabulous today! Thank you so much for the reviews! It's part of the reason why I worked on this chapter as fast as I could! Please continue to review, it really pumps me up to write the next chapters!

Replies:

M. Jackson Potter: Thank you so much for loving Lucy! I'm so happy she is being well received. I definitely agree with the Mary Sue thing, I have read my fair share of Mary Sue fics and it is always paaaainful! I definitely plan on expanding her friendship with Jesse and Beca, and of course, every chapter will progress the relationship with Donald :)

padfoottnprongs, SilverSwagxX and LaceyLeanne1997: Thank you all for supporting the story! I'm sure if Lucy were real she would blush real hard at the love she's getting :)


	6. Aca-Initiation Night

"The sopranos: Jessica, Mary Elise, Lilly and Lucy. The mezzos: Cynthia Rose, Stacie, Kori, and our altos: Fat Amy, Denise, Ashley, Beca." Aubrey announced as she unsheathed the bags over our heads, one by one. We proceeded to say an oath of the Barden Bellas, receiving our scarves for the first time. The room was crowded with candles of various shapes and sizes, making me wonder if it was a fire hazard to have so many lit up at once. I mumbled the oath as I scanned the room's decor.

"...never to have sexual relations with a Treblemaker or may my vocal chords be ripped out by wolves," The girls chanted in unison.

"Wait, what?" I whispered to Beca. She had the same expression, confused at the latter part of the oath. Aubrey's grudge for the Treblemakers was far more deeper than we initially thought. As Aubrey welcomed us into the Barden Bellas, the girls proceeded to squeal with excitement, Amy making her way straight to the wine in the chalice.

I smiled at Beca, still hearing the second half of the Bella oath ring in my ears, "Did she tell us to swear off Treblemakers?" I whispered as the girls got ready leave for the initiation party.

She shrugged, bewildered just as much as I was, "I don't know if that was a joke or not," We both peered at Aubrey as she discussed something with Chloe. "She doesn't look like she would joke about this."

"She doesn't look like she would joke. At all," I muttered, causing Beca to stifle her laughter.

"Alright ladies, it's time to head to Aca-initiation Night," Aubrey raised her voice to garner our attention. We followed her to the amphitheater, where the other acapella groups with their newfound members were already mingling amongst one another. I scanned the crowd for Jesse and Benji, however I could only find Jesse chugging what had to be his third drink.

"Jesse!" I called out, walking towards him down at the centre of the amphitheatre, "Where's Benji?"

"He uh, didn't make it in," Jesse replied, trying not to spill his drink whilst looking for another to consume.

"He didn't make it in?" I repeated, feeling crushed for Benji. I could only imagine how much it would have sucked not to be accepted into the Treblemakers and furthermore watch his roommate join them. "Poor Benji..." I vowed I would treat him to lunch or something as consolation, but I doubted it would have made him feel better.

While I worried for Benji and his current state, Jesse had somehow found two drinks for us to share. "Jesse. We're underage."

"Well I'm on my fourth drink so... I've already made the moral decision to break the law just for tonight," Jesse smirked as he took a swig of his beer.

I stared down at the drink he handed me, "Somehow I doubt it'll be just for tonight."

I watched Jesse stumble away as he tried to get the attention of Beca, who stood by the raised seats of the venue. I was alone now with a bunch of young adults surrounding me, half of which are still not of legal age. I sighed, leaning against one of the chairs as I watched the new acapella members grind and party. From the corner of my eye, I spied Jesse flirting with Beca, causing her to giggle, making me wonder if I could get them to start dating each other. I smiled at the thought that I could set them up.

"You're pretty cute when you smile," I heard a familiar voice standing in the row behind me.

I turned around as I was faced with Donald, taking a sip of his own drink in one hand and the other in his pocket. I smiled, "Hello, fellow aca-member."

"Congrats on becoming a Bella," he raised his cup as a toast, so I stood and bumped our drinks together. "In my opinion, you guys might be the only ones worth being called competition... But the Treblemakers will always win."

I scoffed at his smirk, "Cocky, aren't we? I may not know the history of rivalry between the Trebles and the Bellas, but I know that this year it's going to change."

"I like your determination," Donald raised an eyebrow, "But I don't think that'll be enough to take us down."

I shook my head as I watched him scan the crowd, "Looking for someone?"

"No, actually," He replied, his eyes still looking around the party, "I'm actually making an attempt to look casual while talking to you."

"I like your honesty," I laughed as I spoke, "it's certainly making you seem more approachable."

"Well I know you like your honesty," He turned his eyes back at me, "Anything to get closer, right?"

I watched him take another swig of his drink, "You know, I'm not falling for it."

"Falling for what?"

"Your attempts at flirting with me."

"You're flirting back, aren't you?"

I paused, scrunching my face up into a frown. "I am not flirting with you."

He shrugged as he pretended to agree with me, "Gettin' strong vibes from you, Lucy."

I nudged him with my free hand, pushing his shoulder to show my annoyance, and his grin slowly erased the grimace I had, "Shut up."

He laughed as he noticed my frown turn into a smile, grabbing the hand that was nudging him and put it against his chest. I stared at him as I felt his body heat through his shirt. I could feel my heart pound out of my chest, making me have a difficult time breathing right. It was cold outside, yet for that second, I was burning. He smirked, "Yeah... You're definitely not flirting with me."

I pulled my hand away as I looked down at my drink. It stared straight into the depths of my soul, convincing me ever so slowly to give into intoxication. I shook my head as I mumbled, "Screw it," and I took a lengthy gulp of whatever alcohol Jesse had handed to me earlier.

"Slow down, freshman," Donald chuckled as he watched me down half my liquor. "Do you drink a lot?"

I took a deep breath after I released my lips from the rim of the cup, "Nope, first time tonight."

He grinned, joining me on my drinking escapade. He took my hand as he walked me to the dance floor, watching me finish my first drink in an amount of minutes. Donald looked surprised at my sudden feat to get wasted, handing me another beverage. I considered that maybe getting drunk wouldn't be the best decision to make, especially considering that I was holding hands with a man known for his previous relationships, but when I looked over at Jesse and Beca, laughing and flirting all the while enjoying each other's company, it made me think to myself, 'I deserve to let loose, just for one night.' Then, Andy Grammer's 'Keep Your Head Up' played from the speakers attached to the laptop near the drinks station, causing everyone to make a ruckus and start huddling towards the dance floor.

"Oh, I love this song," I giggled, taking another drink from what Donald had handed me.

He smiled, watching me carefully as I started to move my body to the beat. "Let's dance." And so we did.

Donald twirled me around as we shuffled our way into the middle of the crowd, all while I continued to consume the alcohol I was handed. At some point I began to reject the drinks, and made my own. Donald of course, accompanied me during all this, making sure I wasn't spilling anything on anyone. I laughed eventually, feeling the ground move with every step I took.

"God, drinking is fun!" I told Donald as I continued to dance.

"This really is your first time, isn't it?" He laughed as he held my waist, dancing along with me.

"Yeah," I nodded, swaying my hips even more, all while allowing Donald to lower his hands. I know, so bad of me to do, but damn, I was having a crapload of fun. "I'm not even legally allowed to consume this stuff, you know?"

"Naughty Lucy," He chuckled, raising his eyebrows at my leniency with his seduction techniques. "I think I like this side of you."

"Well, I'm not going to be drinking a lot okay?" I tapped him on the shoulder with slight pressure, peering at him through my eyelashes, "So don't think about doing anything."

"Lucy, you're on your fifth drink," Donald said, "Maybe I should cut you off."

"No!" I said, moving my drink away from him with a pout, "I'm not drunk! The... world is just moving. Like, a lot."

He genuinely laughed harder than usual, "You're ridiculous. That is your last drink, you hear me?"

"Shut up," I swayed back and forth to the song as I held his hand against my waist. "You're enjoying this too, don't deny it."

"Yeah, I am," He smiled, "But I don't want you passing out on me. It's your first time drinking, you're little, you're probably a lightweight. You're probably going to black out in one more drink."

"Okay," I slurred, almost finishing my cup, "I am still speaking English, I'm still standing up, and I'm still dancing. I'm not blacking out."

"You're barely doing any of those things. Why do you think I've been holding onto you this whole time?"

"Do you really believe that you're holding onto me to keep me standing?" I started moving my body closer to him. "Or are you holding onto me because you want to?"

He paused, studying my probably dizzy-looking face and after a moment, he replied, closing his eyes with a smile, "Oh you're making this too easy, Lucy."

I giggled, holding onto his hand and walking him out of the crowd and away from the party. Slowly, but surely, I made my way up the stairs with him holding me tightly. This was bad. I knew it was. My heart was racing while I tried to focus on the ground below me. Don't trip. Just hold on. That's all I thought about during that time. From there on out, I couldn't remember anything, Donald's theory had happened and I blacked out.

When I came to, that was when I was faced with a glaring migraine and dry mouth. I felt horrible, like my whole body was punishing me for my stupidity for the previous night. I found myself back in my room at what was probably midday, lying with my thin bed sheet covering my body. I groaned, squinting my eyes as I held my head, as if it would actually help my hangover go away. I had no idea how I got back to my room, probably through a drunken adventure through the campus and somehow I led myself back there. That, or Jesse or Beca brought me back. I doubted that was the case, since Jesse was already wasted by the time I had arrived to the party. Beca, probably swayed by Jesse's influence, hopped onto the drunk train as well.

I was sweating, feeling unusually hot considering I felt cold most nights I slept. Did I get a fever? That was my initial reaction, perhaps I was allergic to some sort of alcohol from last night? I was confused all this time, until I was given an answer.

"Morning," I heard a voice beside me.

I was suddenly aware of an arm around my body in bed, feeling my senses kick into full throttle as I woke up from my groggy mess. This explained the body heat rising while I slept. He was topless. He was in bed with me.

I had slept with Donald Walsh.

* * *

Oh no! Lucy got drunk! There's a lesson to be learnt here kids, drink responsibly! Don't go home with a playboy! Aside from that, thank you so much for reading. Be sure to leave a review telling me your reaction to what happened! Were you expecting it? Is Donald at fault here? Or is Lucy? Let me know!

Reviewing will get you closer to that next chapter! ;)


	7. Drunken Mishaps

"Oh my god. Oh my god oh my god oh my god," I sputtered, shuffling away from Donald and tangling my legs around the sheets, causing me to tumble onto the ground. I hit my head against the wooden floor, thus yelping, "Oww!" Before leaping back up to realise the terrible situation I was in.

"Why are yo-?!" I screeched before grunting and holding my hands to my head again, proving now that I was far too hungover to deal with yelling. I lowered my voice, glaring and confused at Donald. "Why are you here? Where is your shirt? Did we have sex?" I had so much more to ask but Donald interrupted me before I could blurt it all out.

"Do you remember anything that happened last night?" He asked, finding his glasses to frame his face.

Before I could answer, the door opened. "Lucy, Donald," Beca arrived, holding a bag of McDonald's in her hand, "I uh, got you guys some breakfast."

"Beca?" I murmured, even more confused as to how she wasn't shrieking like a hyena like I wanted to. "What the hell happened last night?!"

Donald and Beca shared a glance before Beca helped me sit back on my bed.

* * *

"Lucy, do you really think you should be doing this?" Donald stumbled as I dragged him up the stairs of my dorm. "I love the fact that you're super laid back now, but I don't think we should be doing this."

"Shhh, Donald, Shh.." I hushed him, opening the door to my room. "Don't act like such a virgin, we both know you're not."

He scoffed, beginning to be a little irritated at my behaviour, "Yeah but don't act like you're not a virgin. I'm not taking advantage of your first time when you're this wasted."

"Not a virgin?" I hiccuped, turning back at him to raise my eyebrows as I took off my shoes. "I'm not a virgin."

Donald paused, probably reliving the moment where I had confessed something not even Jesse knew. I gasped, covered my mouth and giggled, "Oops... Probably shouldn't have said that... Don't-Don't tell Jesse! Sshhh... He doesn't know about it..."

"You're..." Donald murmured under his breath, "You're not a virgin."

I nodded as I began to unbutton his sweater. Donald pushed me off and sat me on my bed. "I'm not doing any of that with you, Lucy. Not tonight."

"Is it-Is it because I'm not a virgin?" I pouted, grabbing onto the collar of his shirt to keep him close. My vision blurred as I sat down, giving me he biggest urge to lie down. I blurted out as much as my brain could handle before I felt my eyelids go heavy. "It wasn't like a one night stand or anything... It was my first boyfriend, Jonathan. Y-You know high school and putting out with your boyfriend..."

"No... Lucy, it's not because of that. It's because you're drunk. You'd hate me if I did anything with you in this state," He sighed, removing my hands from his shirt. I could almost feel his pity touch me.

"He dumped me soon after," I began to blubber, feeling my eyes burn up and soon enough, I felt tears run down my face. I began to sob. Like... Ugly cry.

I saw Donald laugh a little saying, "Man, you should see how you look right now."

I groaned and fell back on my bed, pushing my face into the pillow as I sobbed harder. I heard Donald shuffle around a bit, so I lifted my head and saw him slowly head out the door.

"Noooo...!" I whined, reaching out to him with grabby hands like an infant. "Stayyyy!"

"Lucy, you really need some water. Let me get some for you before you go to sleep."

I frowned, leaning my head back into the pillow as I watched him leave my room. He probably wasn't coming back. I had made a fool out of myself because I decided to get drunk at the first party I was invited to at college. Why did I do that? Donald was driving me crazy, my attraction to him was pulling me overboard, making me choose to do some ridiculous decisions. I now knew that it was worse when I decided to add alcohol to that equation. It was his fault for flirting at such an extent with me! God knows I haven't felt like that in years... Even admitting to the past that I had kept secret for so long... I thought moving out of my high school suburb would allow me to leave my past behind, yet I forgot that I carried it either wherever I went. I sighed, feeling dizzy at the slightest movement. I closed my eyes.

"Lucy," I heard him say my name, causing me to open my eyes slightly and see him kneeling down beside my bed. "Drink this before you pass out on me."

Grogginess overtook me and I struggled to sit up to take the glass. Donald had to hold me as I wobbled against my own weight. After sipping a bit, I couldn't take the sensitivity of my stomach with the water, so I pushed the glass away and laid back down. I felt my throat bubbling with air and acid.

He urged me to drink more, "Lucy you're going to feel like crap in the morning if you don't drink this whole glass."

"Can't... Gonna.. Puk-"

And then it happened. I threw up, all over the side of my bed, the floor beside me and worst of all, all on Donald's front. I sighed, regretting the action immediately as I felt some vomit make its way back down my throat. I covered my mouth and groaned loudly, "I'm so sorry, oh my god, I'm-I'm so sorry..."

I watched Donald stay frozen as he felt his body start to soak in my vomit. "Oh God," was all he could muster to say after a few seconds of realising what had happened.

"Oh God," another voice suddenly yelped. I saw that it was Beca in the doorway with widened eyes and a most confused look plastered on her face.

"Beca," Donald hurriedly said, "Please, help me," he begged desperately, arms stiff in fear that the vomit would soak through even quicker if he moved an inch.

"Take off your shirt geez!" Beca shouted, shuffling around the room to look for some tissues or towels or something. I whined in the process, still feeling sick with intoxication.

Donald began to take off his sweater and then his shirt, looking around for some tissues to wipe himself dry. "Lucy..." He said in a panic, receiving some tissues from Beca as he wiped his chest and then used the rest of the tissue box to wipe up the mess I had made. "I can't believe this..."

"Don't go..." I whimpered, feeling my vision go dark. "D-Don't..."

* * *

"Oh my god..." I cringed, feeling sorry for the deity's name I had used so much in vain as of late. "Guys I am so sorry..."

Beca gave me a sympathetic smile, "If it helps, a lot of people's first time drinking ends up like yours."

"You didn't tell Jesse did you?!" I shrieked, worried as hell that he would be storming in and scolding me for being so irresponsible. Not that he was in any position to speak.

"I figured you didn't want Jesse to get in your business this time," She replied, "I kept quiet."

I sighed in relief, then moving onto the next topic of anxiety, "I vomited... Everywhere..." I wanted to curl up into a ball and just die right there, erase my existence and pretend as if I had never done anything in my life. I gave Donald my most apologetic look and whispered sadly, "I'm so sorry Donald..."

Like Beca, he too, gave me a sympathetic smile. He replied, "At least we know now what your limit is."

I buried my palms into my face, hiding my guilty and embarrassed expression from the pair. "I don't even know where to begin to make it up to you guys."

"If I'm ever as drunk as you were, I'll trust you to have my back," Beca smirked. "At least you can know how it feels when the time comes."

I peered over at Donald, who was drying his shirt on the window sill, as he had washed it the night before. He glanced back at me and let out a small chuckle, "I don't know if there's a way for you to make it up to me. You did vomit all over me, after all."

I closed my eyes, trying to get that image out of my head. "I figured you wouldn't want me around anymore after hearing that... I get it, I don't know if I would want to be friends with a crazy drunk person like me."

"I never said I didn't want to be friends, I just need some time to think of a way for you to make it up to me," He smiled. "I'm not angry. I was more so worried that you would hit your head somewhere and end up in a coma."

"Donald, your shirts dry now," Beca commented, taking the clothing off the sill and passing it to him, who was still half lying down in my bed.

Come to mention it, as an inappropriate time as it was, he was looking really nice in my bed... He wasn't skinny, but he wasn't super muscular. He was just right... Toned arms, nice stomach, his chocolate skin looked pretty tasty for that moment I zoned out. Donald must've noticed me staring at his arms and chest as he laughed, "Are you checking me out?"

Beca raised an eyebrow and quickly jumped in, "That's my queue to get out. Breakfast is on your table, Luce. See ya nerds."

I stared at the breakfast on the table and immediately noticed the bitter taste in my mouth of vomit and alcohol, still sitting there from the previous night. I stood up, grabbing my towel and clothes to take a shower.

"I'm not hungry. I'm going to take a shower so... Thanks for looking after me last night, Don," I gave him a small smile, "You are now released from captivity."

"Good, I didn't want to stay any longer in case I get caught sleeping in the girls' dorm," He agreed, putting his shirt back on. Donald gave me a smile before heading out the door, but he stopped in his tracks as he gave a glance at the breakfast sitting on the table.

"I suddenly know a way for you to make it up to me."

My eyes sparked, looking forward to apologise for my behaviour, "How?"

"Go on a date with me."

* * *

Hi beautiful! How are you liking the story far? Did this chapter explain why Lucy went a bit crazy? Let's hope she doesn't end up doing that again! What did you think about Lucy's past? Or what about Donald's reaction? All of these will be elaborated even more in future chapters, but PLEASE let me know what you thought!

Reviews help you all get closer to that next chapter! Thank you so much!


	8. No Replies

Hey guys! I was feeling a bit anxious because I didn't receive much feedback for the last chapter, so I'm hoping you guys could for this one and let me know where you want to take it ^_^ I've got some plans for Lucy, Donald and everyone in the story, but I'd love to have your input as well. Let me know, and enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

"There is no excuse, I don't care how much you try to defend yourself, Lucy," Aubrey scolded, "The Treblemakers will do anything to destroy us, so you absolutely cannot allow them to penetrate us."

With a shaken breath, I protested, "I didn't sleep with him, Aubrey! I promise!"

"You drank a lot, you might not remember, but I remember seeing you holding his hand and leaving the party back to your dorm. Don't lie to me." She glared with the poise and elegance she was raised to have.  
Beca stood up from her seat behind me and argued, "Aubrey, I was with her at the dorm. Yes, Donald was there, but he was only there because no one could look after her drunk ass. Surely you've had some nights during college where you were intoxicated and needed Chloe's help. It just so happens that Donald was the only one there to help her until I came."

"And how am I supposed to believe you when I saw you almost fornicating with Jesse?" Aubrey replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Fornicating? What?! He gave me a drink, that's it!" Beca sounded completely bewildered, "You know this, Audrey. Jesse was at that party all night but remember I left early! That was when I saw Lucy puking out her insides all over our room."

"Oh geez..." I murmured, sinking into my seat as I heard Stacie whisper, "Ew..."

Aubrey and Beca stared each other down until Chloe piped in, "I believe you, Lucy. There were a lot of drinks at that party," She then nudged Aubrey, causing her to glance back at her redhead friend, "I was a little tipsy, Aubrey, you had some drinks with Amy... I'm sure nothing happened. If anything, Lucy knows now the boundaries that should be made when she is a part of the Bellas." Chloe smiled reassuringly at her best friend.

Aubrey sighed. "Remember girls, you took an oath. Do not take advantage of our trust." Then, she moved onto the next topic, which was the arrangement of our performance. Chloe gave me a discreet wink and continued to listen to Aubrey. I was glad at least she wasn't completely insane. I heard Beca sit back down and I gave her a side glance, seeing that she was thinking the same thing as me, 'Aubrey was crazy'.

After rehearsal was finished, I whipped out my phone to see if I had received any texts. Jesse had sent me a message halfway through the rehearsal asking, 'when do you finish rehearsal? lets go see the hype about the new zac efron flick'

I scoffed, replying with, 'u hate zac efron, why are u choosing to watch one of his films now?'

'i havent seen you since the party last night, i saw you dancing with donald so its interrogation time. besides you cant resist that stupid abnormally sculpted man'

'u sure know how to ask a girl out, dont u? and don't diss my zac efron. he was and always will be my high school musical sweetheart.'

'actually gagging right now... so when do you finish?'

I messaged Jesse telling him to pick me up at the hall where we rehearsed and waited outside at the entrance. I continued to flick through my messages, a few from some old friends from high school, some unread messages from my mother (I told myself I would reply later, because she always sent me long essays but I always forgot to), but none from the person I had hoped to talk to. I decided to text him.

'u know I got in trouble at rehearsal today because I was seen going back to my dorm with u lol'

No immediate reply. That was okay, I couldn't expect everyone to reply straight away.

I waited a good fifteen minutes for Jesse to arrive, then we took a bus to the town's nearest movie theatre. Zac, of course, was absolutely amazing in 'The Lucky One". I sighed at the end of the film, glad that Jesse didn't interrupt my experience of watching yet another Efron film. I had a huge grin plastered on my face, thanking Jesse for taking me out, "He is just..." I sighed again, "Thanks Jess."

He smiled, "That was a horrible movie. Way too cheesy for my liking."

I hit his shoulder as we ushered out of the cinema, "Don't diss my man like that."

"Your man? Speaking of 'your man'... What happened last night?"

"Nothing happened," I smiled, ensuring him he has nothing to worry about. I wasn't convincing enough, obviously.

"Yeah, right. Every time I looked at you, you had a new drink in your hand. Don't tell me you did something stupid."

"The only stupid thing I did was drink alcohol, no thanks to your influence."

"Okay... Guilty as charged... But are you telling me the truth that nothing happened with Donald?"

I rolled my eyes at this point. "Jess, seriously. I'm fine and nothing happened between us. I got back to my dorm early because I felt queasy. You can ask Beca yourself, since she looked after me half the night."

Jesse stopped in his tracks, peering into my eyes, as if attempting to analyse what I had just said, like it wasn't true. It was the truth... Technically. He sighed and nodded, giving me a subtle look of approval, "Alright Luce, I believe you."

Damn, that made me feel bad. I smiled halfheartedly at my friend, hoping he wouldn't notice that tinge of guilt in my face. I took out my phone to check my texts as we walked to the bus station. I frowned, staring at my home screen. "No texts..."

"You expecting a text from someone?" Jesse asked, looking over my shoulder at my phone.

I nodded in return, "Sent them a text a few hours ago. It's kinda getting me worried."

"Who is it?" Jesse inquired being the same nosy boy I knew.

I lied, "Classmate. A girl who attends some of my lectures. Just needed some notes, that's all." 'Sorry Jesse...' I thought as I watched him nod at my reply. I couldn't let him know I was basically at Donald's beck and call.

Once we reached the campus, I told Jesse we would make plans again. "Bring Benji next time," I suggested as he walked me to my dorm. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it. Besides... He kinda got his dream rejected and all..."

Jesse smiled awkwardly, "Yeah. He hasn't really mentioned it since I got back from the initiation night. Let's go out for lunch tomorrow, we'll treat him."

"But don't make it obvious. We don't want to come off as if we pity him," I grimaced.

Jesse agreed, waving goodbye as I started walking down the hallways to my room. I took my phone from my pocket and stared at Donald's name. I considered sending him another text, but what if he thought I was spamming him with unnecessary messages? But then again... What if he never got my text in the first place? That would explain him failing to promptly reply like he usually did. Then again... What if he got my text... And ignored it?  
I shook my head, trying to shake off the feelings of insecurity and doubt. I'm sure he had a legitimate reason for not texting back, like maybe he was rehearsing... No there couldn't have been rehearsal if Jesse was with me half the day. Maybe he was studying.

"God!" I whined, tangling my fingers in my hair as I rubbed my head. "You know what? I'm just going to call him." I decided, hovering my thumb over the green phone button. I pressed it.

A few rings sang into my right ear, giving more anxiety as each one made its way into my eardrum. Would he even pick up? My thoughts became muddled, confused and all in all just a complete mess. I never knew what an unanswered text could do to my demeanour and I did not like it one bit. Eventually, in what seemed like forever, he picked up.

"Hello?" Donald answered.

"Donald! Hey uh, is this a bad time?" I asked, feeling my heart skip a beat as I first heard his voice.

"No, it isn't," I could hear the smile in his voice, relaxing me just a tad bit. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you got my text," I began, "I sent it to you a while ago but you never replied," finishing with a cringeworthy forced-laugh that could make the Gods hide behind their palms. I wouldn't blame them, I called a guy I liked because I didn't get a text back. Suddenly, I was beginning to feel like one of those crazy obsessed girls that Donald would not want anything to do with.

"Oh yeah, I got that text," he replied. "I just didn't bother replying."

"Oh," I fell onto my bed. There it was, my heart sinking at the hard truth. "Why... Why not?"

"So you could call me."

I wanted to hit him.

"Why would you do that?! I was so worried I did something wrong!"

"Lucy I'll say it straight out, I'm not really planning on texting or calling you anymore. Simply because you never decided to do that favour I wanted."

"That's so petty..." I grumbled, "What if I don't want to go on a date with you?"

"Although I laugh at that proposition, I doubt you don't want to go on a date. At risk of having you get a little more annoyed at me than you already are, I think you really do want to go out with me."

"What makes you think that I would want to go out with you?" I pouted, getting annoyed at his presumptions.

"Do you ever get this caught up about someone who didn't reply to one of your texts?"

I paused. "Screw you..." I seethed.

He laughed in response. "Just let it happen, Luce."

"There are boundaries."

"Like the Bella's oath, I know. We don't have to let Aubrey know because as far as I've heard, she's the only one really serious about that."

"Yeah, because she's the leader of the damn group!" I let out an exasperated sigh. "Why are you so insistent on this, Donald?"

I heard a few seconds of silence on the other line, causing me to ask myself if I said something to offend him. He replied soon after I had that thought.

"Because I like you, Lucy. Is there really any other reason to want to go out with someone?"

I could feel my heart trying to beat it's way free out of my ribcage. I placed my hand against my chest in an attempt to calm it down. I swallowed whatever air I could, feeling my mouth dry up like a desert, with me as a lost wanderer looking for that sweet oasis to rest at. I started to imagine Donald as that oasis I wanted to sink my body into. I did want him. I really did. But damn... I was scared. I realised as I daydreamed, Donald was still on the line, asking if I was there.

"Y-Yes, sorry, I just zoned out for a second there," I stumbled upon my words.

"Sorry. Was that too sudden?" He asked.

"No, no it's fine," I insisted, however my vibrating chest was saying the complete opposite. "Um... I uh, have to go."

"I was right, it was too much, I'm sorry," Donald apologised. "Lucy, don't hang up."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," I laughed nervously. "I just... I have to go. I have some assignments... You know, stuff."

I heard him sigh on the line as I hung up on him. "I'm sorry Donald," I whispered as I put my phone down to my lap. I thought about Jonathan, the boy whom I loved so much in high school. The boy who broke my heart once I had given him everything. My heart, my soul... My body. I never talked about our relationship with anyone else before. Jesse would have killed Jonathan, I could never speak about a boy aside from Jesse to my parents and the closest girlfriend I had was Beca, who wasn't even aware of Jonathan's existence. I sighed, laying back onto my mattress as I stared at the ceiling.

"It's for the best, Lucy. It was good at the time but he totally wrecked you," I mumbled, thinking about what Jonathan did during our last days as seniors. "You can't let that happen again... Even if you can't stop thinking about Donald."

I closed my eyes, deciding to sleep off my heavy feelings. I checked my phone for the time as I heard a knock on the door. I had only been asleep for a good 15 minutes before I was so rudely interrupted. Then I thought it would've been Beca coming back from her shift at the radio station. I got up, getting ready to tell her to stop forgetting her key. I opened the door and that stupid heart racing feeling returned, making me feel faint, hot and cold all at the same time.

"Donald," I almost choked on my own saliva, trying not to show my surprise at his presence. "What are you-"

Then, I felt a pair of warm arms surround me, wrapping around my neck and back as it pulled me towards him. Donald rested his head on top of mine and could feel his heart beat as he placed my ear against his chest. He was so much taller than me, I realised that now. I could feel my lip quivering as I felt comfort in his arms. I felt tears start to slide out of the corner of my eyes, unwilling to let go of Donald, yet unwilling to let anything more happen with what're our relationship was.

"D-Donald, I can't," I shook my head, despite the fact that my hands were holding tightly onto his sweater.

He stroked the back of my hair, not saying anything. He only hugged me tighter. The more he held on, the more I did too. I was terrified, nervous, dizzy and exhilarated all at the same time.

And I wanted to feel more.


	9. Her Truth

Hi everyone! Thanks for all the follows and favourites! I'm so glad you are enjoying this story so far! Please review and let me know what you think! What do you expect to happen on their date? How far will they go? Will they be caught? Go on and review! Hehe~

SilverSwagxX: Thank you! Isn't it sweet? I always imagined that although Donald acted like a total dork around Bumper, when he's with a girl he's a real charmer ;) Question is, will he only use this charm for Lucy? Or other girls as well?

Guest: Awww thank you! I'm so touched you called it your favourite fanfic, it means so much! Don't worry, there won't be a lot of sexual situations, but who knows... Donald is the type to play with girls, isn't he?

* * *

"Donald I can't do this," I protested despite being willingly held in his arms.

He didn't say a word for a while. It was just us standing in my doorway, locked in a tight embrace. A part of me wanted to feel this forever. Eventually he did release me from his grip, taking my hand this time and sitting me down on my bed. He sat next to me and whispered a small sentence.

"Talk to me."

I fumbled with my hands, staring at them as I wrestled them in my lap. I shook my head and mumbled, "It's just for the best."

I began to tug at my fingers and examine my nails as I avoided eye contact with Donald during this time. I just hoped that he would take his leave and accept my answer. But deep, deep down, I hoped that he wouldn't. "No, it isn't," I heard him say, "Is this because of the Bellas' oath?"

I shook my head again, "It's just something personal. You should go."

From the corner of my eye I could see Donald's hands turn into tight fists, revealing his unwillingness to let this go. He had squeezed his hands so hard that I saw them shake. He sighed and stood up, his feet hitting the ground loud enough to startle me. I had angered him, but I knew it was better to have him walk away than to get hurt in the long run. He made his way to the door as I awaited for him to slam it in my face... But he stopped. I saw his feet turn around towards me.

"It's your ex, isn't it?"

I choked on air as I hitched my neck up to face him. I had used every bit of my willpower not to cry right then. For the third time, I shook my head and forced a smile, "Why would it be about that jerk? No, I just... I just want to focus on college..." Then I clenched my fists and like a dam after heavy rain, I couldn't hold it anymore. Tears poured down my cheeks, creating a small puddle as they fell onto my hands. I heard Donald quickly make his way to me as I rubbed my eyes harshly, as if hurting them would make the tears stop.

He handed me some tissues and I quickly tried to rid the evidence of me being even vaguely upset. Of course, the attempt was futile. Donald placed one of his hands on my shoulder and comforted me, "You don't have to lie to me, Lucy. I don't care if it's your ex."

"Yeah but it's not about your feelings at this point," I blubbered, "it's mine." I lifted my head and saw he was so much closer than I expected him to be. He was kneeling in front of me as I sat on my mattress, one hand on my side and the other resting on my thigh. He was close, really close. I breathed heavily as I tried to move his hand off my leg, but along the way he decided to take a hold of my own hands instead of removing them. I flinched, considering moving away from him entirely, but it just felt so... warm.

"Lucy," Donald whispered, "I like you. Whatever happened in the past is in the past. You're in college now, away from high school. This is a fresh start for you, don't let him hold you back."

The last sentence stuck a slight pain in my chest, as if he told me the truth that I had been hiding from myself this whole time. I sighed, subconsciously gripping onto Donald's hand tighter. Swallowing my fear, I murmured back, "Don... I'm scared..."

I could see then the obvious pain in his face, sympathetic with my own emotions. He shuffled closer to me and gave me another tight hug, still on his knees but much closer to my body. "You have no reason to be scared," I heard him mumble into the nook of my neck, "I'm not gonna leave you alone."

My chest began to heave up and down as I had even more tears fall from my eyes than before. I began to sob louder, however I did try to mask it by quietening my voice. I ended up sounding like a sick hyena. Overcome with emotion, I wrapped my arms around Donald's back, holding tightly onto his shirt. I was unable to reach my hands fully around his torso, making me realise just how much bigger he was than me but I was glad to say that I did feel comforted, at least for the first time since the incident in high school. After a few minutes of his comfort, we let go and I stifled a quiet laugh once feeling the awkward silence between us.

"I'm sorry," I smiled, fumbling with my hands again in my lap, "I don't know what came over me."

I could hear the smile in his voice return, "I'm glad you showed me this side to you. Now... Because I made you cry, can I make it up to you by taking you out? At least enough to replenish the water you just lost," he chuckled lightly.

Out of habit, I was about to refuse, however we did just share a heart to heart moment and I wasn't going to show him that I didn't appreciate it. Besides... Being with him wasn't the end of the world. I was actually feeling better around him. "Okay," I nodded, standing up to head out the door.

"Oh, uh," Donald quickly stopped me from exiting and stuffed his hands in his pockets, "I meant... Can I take you out tonight?"

"Oh," I suddenly was aware of my heart rate at the prospect of being with Donald on a dinner date. I felt myself smiling before I could even answer and nodded, "Sure."

"Great," He smiled, clasping his hands together in excitement, "I'll pick you up downstairs at 8 then. Wear something nice!" Donald said before running out of the room.

I looked at the clock above my door. I had four hours until he was going to pick me up. "Wear something nice, huh?" I opened my wardrobe to see what I had to wear. "Something nice... What does something nice even mean?!" I groaned, now feeling overwhelmed by the amount of clothes I had, even though I looked at the pile every day. After scattering basically my whole closet onto my bed and trying on half of them, I fell onto the ground in disdain, never having felt such frustration over picking an outfit. Most of the time I just decided to wear whatever was most comfortable with my favourite Skechers... The last time I went on a date was last year and God knows I didn't go anywhere "nice"... unless you call the food court at the mall a nice place. The door opened as I had several dresses sprawled out in front of me and on my lap, with Beca greeting me with a surprised look at the state of our room.

"We holding a fashion show or something?" Beca asked, bewildered at the amount of clothes thrown on both our beds and desks.

"Beca," I cried, "Help me!"

Once explaining the situation she looked around the room and said, "I might not be the best person to ask about this. Have you seen how much effort I put into my clothes?"

"Beca please! I don't want to look like a jackass in front of him!"

She smirked, "Well it's nice to see how you're getting nervous over simply wearing something."

"Shut up and pick something!"

"Donald's not going to care what you wear, Lucy. The guy likes you, hell, you could probably wear a burlap sack and he wouldn't notice."

I scurried around, examining each outfit to see which was most appropriate, even though I had no idea where we were going. "I'm not wearing a burlap sack."

Beca moved in towards my wardrobe and took out a piece of clothing that was stored at the back. She held it out as it cascaded down towards her knees. "What about this?" She asked.

It was a chiffon dress in baby pink. The hem of the dress did end just above my knees and the material was light enough to sway against whatever air it hit. I took it and tried it on hastily. My shoulders were covered by one layer of the chiffon fabric and around my waist, it was cinched in so it didn't overtake my figure. Paired with a delicate brown belt and peach heels, I ended up finding the outfit I would wear. I jumped slightly as I hugged Beca, smiling wider than I had that whole day, "Thank you! I totally forgot I had this dress..."

"I'm glad. Now... You're cleaning this up. Not me."

I nodded, quickly stuffing all my clothes back into the closet, not caring to fold or organise them. I had one hour left. Enough time to do my makeup and whatever I could with my short hair. I gussied up in front of the mirror during that final countdown, until I heard my phone vibrate. Donald had sent me a text.

'I'm downstairs. You'd better be looking amazing.'

I smiled as I grabbed my clutch and left the dorm, waving goodbye to Beca. Rushing down the stairs I quickly opened the door, almost bumping into Donald as I reached him. I heard him chuckle, holding onto my arms in case I fell over. I regained my composure and laughed with him.

"Wow, you look..." He gazed at me, "...Wow." After a few seconds he coughed and stood upright, holding his arm out for me to hold onto. "Shall we?"

My hand fit snugly into the cranny of his arm and I replied, "We shall."


End file.
